Super Bowl Tickets May Not Be Worth the Experience

The ultimate decision that we as football fans must make is whether or not we will stay home and watch the Super Bowl or spend some extra cash to go see the game live when held in our hometown. But is the extra cash really worth it? This has to the be hardest question to answer as this year’s game heads to New Jersey for the first cold-weather Super Bowl to date. While each side has their positives and negatives, let’s look at what you could really end up spending if you go with either route.

If adamant on taking the trip to MetLife Stadium, you need to buy your tickets. For the sake of this argument, you plan on bringing a friend. According to Stubhub.com, tickets currently range from $1,631.50 to $4,000. Which means that two tickets could cost you anywhere from $3,200 up to $8,000. Now let’s suppose you have that much money and therefore can buy those tickets. Once you get to the stadium, you need to pay for parking, which is an additional $30.You cannot tailgate in the stadium parking lot this year, so you consider going to a different parking lot down the road that allows tailgating, however that could cost $50.

Now you are in the stadium. You got your adult beverage ($7), hand-warming devices ($15), and a brand-new Denver Broncos winter hat ($25). You are ready. But then, you start to get hungry as the game hits halftime ($12 for a burger and fries). All in all, not including the gas money and tolls to get to the stadium, your grand total for this experience has reached over $4,000 (if you did not want the closest seats possible). But is the experience worth it when the game could be enjoyed from the comforts of your own home for a really small fraction of the price?

If you stay home, the more people invited does not necessarily mean the more money has to be spent. Most typical Super Bowl parties that I have been to have had roughly 10 to 15 people in attendance. A case of an adult beverage ($25), a few pizzas ($30), some chicken wings combined with nachos ($20), and chips and dip ($10) will give you a grand total of $85. As a bonus, you also have the extra entrees that your company has brought over to be gracious house guests. Oh yeah, parking is free.

But which scenario allows you to truly enjoy the one, and only, time that the Super Bowl is going to be in New Jersey?

By going to the stadium, the players and the action are happening right in front of your eyes. But on the other side, temperatures are supposed to be in the mid-30’s as the game carries on. From personal experience, some people do not handle the cold as well as others. By staying home, your bank account does not take a large hit. By spending less than $100, you can worry more about the experience rather than the amount of money you are spending on the experience.

Ultimately, anyone would love the opportunity to attend at least one Super Bowl in their lifetime. Unfortunately, this is not that “once in a lifetime” game. The circumstances to attend the game do not add up to a worthy enough experience. More people will be willing to join you in your living room, or “man cave,” to watch the game instead of spending $2,000 to join you at MetLife Stadium.